When the clocks go back this weekend, you can get an extra hour's sleep. Or you could use the bonus 60 minutes to boost your bank balance. Here are some suggestions for ways to save and make money in an hour.

1. Switch energy suppliers

The latest price hikes from British Gas, nPower and SSE (other major suppliers are likely to follow suit) will bring misery to households this winter. Make sure you're not paying more than you need to, and switch deals if you are not. Your part of the process should be complete in less than an hour (you can use those spare minutes in a few weeks' time to read the meter for your final bill)..

2. Give yourself a savings makeover

If you have cash sitting in a range of savings accounts, spend an hour digging out all of the paperwork and checking that you are getting the best rate. Banks are obliged to give you warning of cuts to rates, for example when a bonus period ends, but it can be easy to file these letters away and forget to switch when the time comes. If you're unsure of the rate you're getting, check online – banks list rates of all accounts, including those that are no longer open to new savers, on their websites. When you know what you're earning you can see if you could do better. Moneyfacts lists best-buy accounts in a range of categories.

3. Plant some crops

It takes seconds to chuck a few seeds into soil but it can save the weekly cost of a salad bag (£1.50, say) and reduce waste. More than two thirds of lettuce sold in bags is thrown away, according to Tesco. A packet of mixed lettuce seeds costs about 99p and can be planted in recycled pots or a window box. Outside, it's the right time of year to plant onions, shallots, spring cabbage, garlic and broad beans. For ideas on growing in tiny spaces, see www.verticalveg.org.uk.

4. Go back to the shop

If you recently bought something you weren't sure about and haven't used, an hour might be well spent returning it and getting your money back. Check the back of the receipt or the retailer's website to see what the shop's policy is – some will not let you just return things on a whim, but others give you 30 days to change your mind. Check the Citizens Advice guide to consumer rights.

5. Plan your meals for the week

Use a meal planner website (or a cookbook or two) and decide what to eat this week. Try the Resourceful Cook and Netmums. Doing so will allow you to use up stuff you already have and should stop you buying more than you need when you hit the shops.

6. Check your tax code

If you pay tax through PAYE, your tax code tells your employer how much tax needs to be deducted before your salary hits your bank account. A wrong code and you could be paying thousands more than you need to. Read the guide on HMRC's website. If you think you're on the wrong code, let it know.

7. Find out what's happening locally

Start following your nearest theatre on Twitter and your local greengrocer favourite restaurant on Facebook, as many offer customers the best deals on social media and local websites, rather than the well-known UK-wide discount sites.

8. Forage for free food

There's an abundance of ripe fruit, edible flowers and leaves going free, whether you live in an urban landscape or rural idyll. Spend an hour trawling the hedgerows and you could get the best part of a free lunch. For ideas on foraging, see the Urban Forager by Andy Hamilton. For tips on safe-to-eat wild foods, local groups or events can help, such as SEplentyFree and Cracking Good Food.

9. Check direct debits

Consumers pay thousands for gym membership they no longer use, worthless insurance products and magazine subscriptions. Check online or on your statements, and cancel any unnecessary payments. If your energy account is massively in credit, call your provider and see if you can adjust down your monthly payment (taking into account the fact that the colder weather is about to arrive).

11. Fit water saving devices

Some water companies offer free water saving devices, from those that lower the flow rate of showers to ones that claim to displace water in a cistern to "save a flush". Phone your company or look at its website to see if it gives anything away, and place an order.

12. Don't pay too much council tax

If you're in the wrong council tax you could be being charged too much (or even too little). Check you're paying the correct amount. Contact your local council if you think you qualify for a reduction.

13. Make some soup

Spend an hour using up the contents of your fridge and creating soups and/or pasta sauces that you can freeze. Google whatever you have to eat up and you're sure to find a recipe.

14. Sign up for peer-to-peer lending

If your savings are earning you next to nothing in a bank or building society, why not try a peer-to-peer lending scheme like Zopa.co.uk? The site links lenders to borrowers with good credit ratings. There's currently a 4.4% projected return after fee, for up to five years.

15. Treasure hunt

You could spend an hour searching for coins down the back of the sofa (UK sofas hide £40m in loose change, according to Halifax Savings) but tracking down an old bank account full of cash would be time better spent. Fill in a form at Mylostaccount.org.uk – a free service that helps reunite you with your money. While you have the computer on, check your premium bonds too.

16. Do an hour's work

You could be paid for an hour's work (often via an agency, or a website like Slivers) but if you volunteer an hour you can often learn a new skill (could help your career) or exchange elbow grease for lower prices. Working on a farm, for example and you may be given a discount at the farm shop, and urban community gardeners can often share the produce in return for their work. See Farm Garden, Community Service Volunteers and Volunteer Now.

17. Bleed your radiators

Make sure your central heating is running as efficiently as possible by bleeding out tradpped air. You will need to find the radiator key, which could take time (they are cheap to buy if you can't track yours down). If you don't know how to do it, watch a video first – Homeserve's website has a guide.

18. Fix things

There are lots of websites such as Handyman Know How (and books – free at the library) with instructions for how to do simple DIY tasks. Get to grips with the basics – leaky taps, say – and you'll save a fortune.